One Simple Touch
by Christina TM
Summary: Angsty fluff with Jack and Kim. My first 24 fic.
1. Kim's POV

DISCLAIMER: I don't own 24. If I did...ugh...let's not go there.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is nothing. Nothing but pure, pointless, angsty fluff. Enjoy. The first chapter is Kim's POV, the second is Jack's. This story is a free-floater. It could be after Season 1 or 2, but I think it fits better with Season 2.  
  
RATED: G  
  
ARCHIVES: Ask and ye shall receive.  
  
ONE SIMPLE TOUCH - KIM'S POV  
  
"Dad! I'm home!" Kim breezed through the door. "Hey, the movie was great, we have to..." She trailed off, noticing there was no response to her words. "Dad?" He *was* home, right? His SUV was in the driveway. Had he gone for a walk? No, the lights were on. Dad always turned the lights off when he left the house.  
  
"In here, Kim," Her dad's voice came from the living room. He sounded strange, like his mind wasn't totally there.  
  
Kim crossed the threshold from the kitchen to the living room. Her dad was sitting on the couch, staring vacantly ahead. His right arm rested on the armrest. The remote control was-as always-resting under his right hand. It was pointed to the TV, but the screen was blank. "Daddy?" Kim asked tentatively, sitting down next to him. "What's wrong?"  
  
For a moment, Dad didn't respond. He looked sad. No, sad wasn't it. Kim ran all the adjectives she could think of through her mind: *Depressed. Upset. Tired. Introspective. Insecure. Lonely.*  
  
*Yeah, that's it,* Kim thought as the last two crossed her brain. *Insecure and lonely.* But why? "Is it Mom?" Kim asked.  
  
The answer was soft, not Dad's usual style. "No."  
  
"What is it?" Kim inquired, moving closer. "Daddy? What's wrong?"  
  
Dad drew in a breath, and let it out in a shaky sigh. "Kim, I..." His voice faltered.  
  
Kim took her father's hand and leaned on his shoulder.  
  
"I need a hug, honey," Dad said. Kim could hear his throat tightening with emotion. She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled as close to him as she could. Dad's arms tightened around Kim's back and he rested his cheek on her hair. Closing her eyes, Kim burrowed against Dad's chest and listened to his heartbeat. She could tell he was holding in tears. *What's wrong? Why is he so upset?* She thought worriedly. It wasn't like her dad to be emotional for no reason. But he wasn't telling her, so she didn't push. "I love you, Daddy," Kim whispered into Dad's T-shirt, hoping that would help a little.  
  
Dad brought one hand up and cupped the back of Kim's head, drawing her in closer. "I love you too, baby," he choked out. 


	2. Jack's POV

ONE SIMPLE TOUCH - JACK'S POV  
  
Jack sat on the couch in the living room. He held the remote control in his hand, but couldn't bring himself to do anything with it. The TV screen was a lifeless black in front of him. It matched his mood.  
  
Jack ran through this day in his mind, trying to find a reason for his current melancholy. Work hadn't been so bad. Pretty uneventful, actually. No bomb threats, no hijacked airplanes, no weapons drawn. Just paperwork. So why was Jack sitting here on the couch feeling empty and weepy?  
  
The door swung open. "Dad! I'm home!" Kim. She'd gone out with some of her friends for the evening. Somehow, Jack couldn't make himself answer.  
  
"Hey, the movie was great, we have to..." Kim stopped, obviously aware that she wasn't getting any response. "Dad?"  
  
Jack finally found his voice. "In here, Kim." He didn't sound like himself at all, he thought.   
  
Kim entered the living room. She looked concerned. *Well, who can blame her?* Jack thought. *She's got to be wondering why her tough-as-nails dad is sitting on the couch staring at a blank TV screen.*   
  
"Daddy?" Kim asked tentatively, as if the sound of her voice alone would shatter him. She sat down on the couch. "What's wrong?"  
  
*Nothing,* Jack thought. But that wasn't true. *Something* was wrong, he just wasn't entirely sure *what.* At any rate, he needed the company.  
  
"Is it Mom?" Kim asked. Generally, when Jack got introspective, it *was* about Teri. But not this time.   
  
"No," Jack said simply. He was always thinking about Teri. She was always in the back of his mind and the front of his heart. But that wasn't the cause of his current period of numbness.   
  
"What is it?" Kim sounded really worried now. She moved closer. "Daddy, what's wrong?"  
  
Jack tried to speak. "Kim, I..." his voice faltered. He was close to tears. And he couldn't even tell her why. *What is with me tonight?*  
  
Kim took Jack's hand and leaned on his shoulder. That was it. "I need a hug, honey," Jack said, well aware of the desperation creeping into his voice.  
  
Almost before the words had left his mouth, Kim snaked her arms around Jack's neck. She snuggled close to him, swinging her legs over his lap and burying her head in his chest. Jack brought his arms around her back and squeezed her tightly, sniffling back his sobs. "I love you, Daddy," Kim whispered into his T-shirt.  
  
A single tear escaped from Jack's eye. He lifted one hand to the back of her head and pulled her in closer, almost crushing her. "I love you too, sweetie." 


End file.
